Kiss by Kiss (Riggins Brothers #3) - Kaylee Ryan Page 0,13

nice.” She grins.

“Definitely a perk,” I agree. Movement from the corner of my eye catches my attention, and I turn to see Aurora. Her long brown hair is down for once and is falling over her shoulders in loose curls. She’s wearing a pair of jeans that mold to her curves, a long sweater covering her ass, which is a damn shame. She’s wearing a pair of black fuzzy boots with a flat heel. She’s a fucking vision.

“Is this okay?” she asks cautiously. I can hear the concern in her voice.

I open my mouth to speak, but the words are locked and won’t come. Instead, I move one foot in front of the other until I’m standing in front of her. Bending, I press my lips to her cheek and breathe her in. She’s not working today, but she still smells sugary sweet. “You’re perfect,” I whisper in her ear, finding my voice.

“Maybe I should change.” She takes a step back, but not far enough. Reaching out, I snake my arm around her waist, pulling her close.

“No. You’re dressed perfectly for where we’re going.”

“Where are we going?” She tilts her head to look up at me, and her hazel eyes are both guarded and showing hints of excitement.

“Our first stop is breakfast. I hope you’re hungry.”

“She was too nervous to eat,” Aspen answers helpfully.

“It’s just me,” I say, pressing my lips to her temple. She sucks in a breath, surprised by the gesture. “Aspen, I’ll take good care of her.”

“Be good, kids. Have her home before midnight, or don’t….” Aspen laughs, letting her voice trail off.

“We’ll keep you posted. Did you pack a bag?” I ask Aurora.

“I told you I’m not spending the night with you.”

“Okay, baby. But you might want to change,” I start to explain. “That’s fine. We can come back here for you to change if you want to.” She bites down on her bottom lip, showing me her uncertainty. “Trust me.” My tone is gentle as I will her to give me her trust.

“You kids better get moving.” Aspen claps her hands.

“I’ll take care of her,” I tell Aspen with a wink.

“Oh, you better.” She gives me a sassy grin, and I know she’s not talking about me bringing her sister home safely. My cock twitches behind the zipper of my jeans at the thought of “taking care” of Aurora like that.

Aurora steps out of my hold and slides her arms into her coat. I watch as she grabs her purse and a small bag that I know has a change of clothes packed neatly inside. I hide my grin by biting down on my cheek. Now is not the time to gloat.

Walking toward her, I offer her my hand, and she hesitates. Her eyes dart to her sister, then back to me, and then to my hand that’s still suspended in the air waiting for her. I watch her as she straightens her spine and exhales slowly before placing her hand in mine. It’s a small victory, but one I’m going to take all the same. It’s going to be a lot of baby steps with Aurora, and I’m good with that. I don’t know who hurt her, but I hope one day she’ll tell me. In the meantime, I’ll be sure to prove to her that she doesn’t have anything to worry about when it comes to me.

I can’t explain it, but I’m drawn to her unlike any woman ever before. To me, that’s reason enough to stick around and see where this goes. With her hand in mine, I lead us out to my SUV. Taking the bag from her hands, I place it in the back seat before opening her door for her. Once she’s in, I jog around and climb behind the wheel.

“Please tell me that whatever we’re doing it’s inside,” she says as soon as my door is shut.

“Yes. I want to get to know you, not give you frostbite,” I tease.

“Good.” She rubs her hands together. “I was about to jump out if you’d given me any other answer.”

“The objective is to keep you with me today as long as I can, not push you away.” I keep my eyes focused on the road, but I can feel her stare. “What?” I ask, glancing over once I’m at the Stop sign.

“Why me?”

“Have you looked in the mirror lately?”

“Precisely why I am asking the question.”

Something stirs inside me at her words. I can’t really describe it—anger, sadness, and even determination